Plastic grater



A. A. NU DELL PLASTIC GRATER Fild Oct. 24. 1942 &

Illll'liviilllll'llll Dec.24,1946.

Patented Dec. 24, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLASTIC GRATER.

Arthur A. Nu Dell, Chicago, Ill. Application October 24, 1942, Serial No. 463,282

4 Claims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in graters and similar devices.

My invention relates more particularly to graters and similar devices made of a plastic composition.

Most of the commercially known graters in the past have been made of tin or other sheet metal with deformations and openings pressed'through, usually with sharp points so that vegetables or other things rubbed over the same are lacerated and shredded. Usually these raters are semicircular in shape and braced across the ends so that the unit is held rigid when in use. Others which are rectangular in shape are provided with a bracing wire around the top and bottom and usually have several different sizes and shapes of openings for different size grating. or shredding. These graters, besides being very difficult to clean, are even more difficult to dry completely, so that rusting very often results from a single use and washing. In addition, due to the piercing of the metal in punching the grating surfaces, sharp, jagged edges result which often bruise or tear the skin of the user.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved grater which is constructed of a molded plastic.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved grater constructed of a molded plastic which does not require grinding or other finishing of the molded item to provide an effective grater.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved molded grater constructed of a plastic composition which is more or less flexible, but which is provided with diagonally directed reinforcing bars so that a sufficient degree of rigidity is attained in the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved molded plastic grater which is slightly arcuately shaped for more efiloiency in use, and provided with reinforcing ribs to prevent the face of the same from being flexed inwardly during use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved grater construction whereby a flexible or slightly yieldable material may be employed, but which is so constructed that there will be sufficient rigidity to the article for effective and satisfactory use.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, upon which Fig. 1 is a back view of my improved grater 2 showing the diagonally positioned reinforcing ribs;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same taken generally on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the grater, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line l of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate the same. I have provided a handle III "which may have a slightly arcuately shaped portion 12 and the rounded portions l4 and i6 terminating 'in a rectangular frame member having the side walls I8 and 20 and the end wall 22. The frame may have a cross-support 24 positioned at the end adjacent the handle 10 with the grater itself positioned between the end wall 22 and the cross-wall 24.

The frame ill is further reinforced by the flat, arcuately shaped braces 28 and 28 which extend across the frame as an integral part of the walls 22 and 24. Further'rigidity is obtained by providing the diagonally directed cross-braces 3e, 32 and 34 extending between'the four sides of the frame, and the similarly shaped diagonal braces 36, 38 and 40, which also extend between the side walls of the frame.

The grater teeth 42 are formed upon diagonally directed webs 44 spaced at regular intervals and positioned across the frame parallel to the braces 36, 38 and 40 and similar webs 46 likewise spaced at regular intervals and extending across the frame diagonally parallel to the cross-braces 39, 32 and 34.

The upper or working surface of the webs 44 and 46 and also the diagonal braces mentioned are provided with notches and teeth in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so that the upper surface of the grater presents a, surface which is in effect a plurality of points over which vegetables, fruits, chocolate or other products may be rubbed, and the same are shredded into comparatively small pieces. As can be seen in Fig. 4, the

braces 40 and 38 are comparatively thin adjacent their lower edges, but are tapered in cross-section to a thickness approximately twice this size at a point adjacent the face of the grater, from which point they are formed to a point to provide a row of teeth 42 upon the braces. Thus the braces and the webs upon the forward surface of the grater provide an even surface of regularly spaced comparatively sharp teeth which provide the grating operation.

It will be noted in molding the same that due to the construction details shown and the man- 4 3 ner in which toothed edges are provided at re ular intervals in diagonal rows, it is not necessary to provide any grinding or other operation after the article has been removed from the mold.

From the above and foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided an efficient grater which is constructed of a plastic or other flexible material, but reinforced in such manner that even though the face thereof may be slightly flexed, the entire grater is entirely rigid in construction. By the use of a plastic material, the grater may be manufactured in quantity by the simple expedient of providing a mold and filling the same, since no machining, grinding or other operations are necessary after the grater has been removed from the mold. Due to the tapered cross section of the braces and the contour of the other portions,

it will be apparent that the grater is easily cleaned by simply holding it under the faucet and permitting water to be run over the same. By. the use of plastic rusting is also avoided.

While I have illustrated and described a specific embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made in the'exact details shown, and I do not wish to limit myself in any particular except as I am limited by the appended claims; rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A one-piece grater formed of a plastic composition comprising a generally rectangular frame member having a handle portion at one end thereof, said frame member formed to an are, a reinforcing brace formed on the bottom of the upper and lower frame members, said braces having fiat back edges, diagonally directed braces connecting the four sides of the frame, the back edges of the same lying in the same plane as the back edges of said first mentioned braces, and a plurality of equally spaced webs extending diagonally in both directions across said frame, said webs all being of equal thickness, all of said webs having spaced teeth formed in the upper faces thereof, said diagonal braces also having webs upon their faces, said webs having spaced teeth therein. V

21. A one-piece grater constructed of a molded comparatively thin plastic composition having a rectangular frame formed of bottom, top and side frame members, the top of said frame having an extension forming a handle, said frame bein slightly arcuate between the side frame members and having a network of diagonally directed webs upon its front side running in opposite directions and connected between the top, bottom and sides of said frame, each of said webs having spaced teeth thereon and braces to prevent flexing of said grater, said braces positioned on the back of the top and bottom frame members and at spaced intervals on crossing web members, the back edges of said braces forming a straight line between the side frame members whereby the bracing is greatest at the middle of the grater.

" 3. A grater constructed of a molded comparatively thin plastic composition having a rectangular frame formed of bottom, top and side frame members, the top of said frame having an extensionforming a handle, said frame being slightly arcuate between the side frame members and having a network of diagonally directed Webs upon its front side running in opposite directions and connected between the top, bottom and sides of saidframe, each of said webs having spaced teeth thereon and braces to prevent flexing of said grater, said braces positioned on the back of the top and bottom frame members and at spaced intervals on crossing web members, the back edges of said braces forming a straight line between the side frame members whereby the bracing is greatest at the middle of the grater, and said braces having a cross-sectional area in the form of a taper from a thickness adjacent'the teeth thereon to a narrower thickness adjacent the lower edges of the same.

4. A one-piece grater formed of a plastic composition comprising a generally rectangular frame member having a handle portion at one end thereof, a reinforcing brace formed on the bottom of two of the frame members, diagonally directed braces connecting the four sides of the frame and a plurality of equally spaced webs extending diagonally in both directions across said frame, said webs all being of equal thickness, all of said webs having spaced teeth formed in the upper faces thereof, said diagonal braces also having Webs upon their faces, said webs having spaced teeth therein, and all of said webs forming an arcuate grating surface rigidly supported by said braces.

ARTHUR A. NU DELL, 

